over, more than. Do not use over to the exclusion of more than (see from); do not use 'overly' for over, too much, too, exceedingly, or excessively:

1. The fish was over three pounds in weight; the fish weighed

more than three pounds.

2. This desk cost more (or less) than fifty dollars.

3. The journey lasted a little more than a week.

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4. She was oversensitive. (Not overly sensitive'.)

overshoes, arctic overshoes. The use of 'gums' for overshoes is local (U. S.); 'rubbers' is colloquial (U. S.).

pair, pairs. Pair is used of two persons or things associated together (do not use it loosely for two; see couple); do not use pair as a plural for pairs:

1. This pair of spectacles is broken.

2. The newly married pair are at home.
3. A pair of gloves; two pairs of gloves.

pantaloons. The use of 'pants' for pantaloons or trousers is vulgar. parallelism. Use parallelism in speaking and in writing. See § 375. partially, partly. It is better not to use partially for partly (avoid using a word of doubtful meaning for an equally good word of clear meaning):

1. An impartial witness; a partial eclipse.

2. He discussed the question impartially.

3. The funds were partly divided. (Not 'partially '.)

party. Except in a legal sense party means a group of persons; do not use it for person:

1. Were you invited to the party?

2. The two parties to the contract.

(Legal usage.)

3. The fourth person did not come. (Not 'party '.)

past, etc. In speaking of ages and the like, do not use 'going on': 1. He is past twenty-one. (Not 'going on' twenty-two.) 2. It is past ten o'clock; it is nearly eleven o'clock.

people, persons. People may be used of men and women indefinitely, but in the sense of individuals persons is preferable :

1. All sorts of people; literary people of all nations.

2. Not three persons were conscious of the change.

per cent, percentage. For per, see § 289. Per cent is an adjective phrase meaning by (or in) the hundred; colloquially, in the designation of bonds, it takes a plural form, per cents; do not use it for the noun percentage (§ 205):

1. What rate per cent did he ask? Six per cent.
2. She was investing in five per cents. (Colloquial.)
3. What percentage goes to waste? (Not 'per cent'.)
4. The pupils study for percentages. (Not 'per cents'.)

perspire, sweat. Sweat means to perspire excessively; an animal sweats; a person perspires or sweats according to circumstances (but do not use sweat of persons when it is of doubtful propriety):

1. We perspired even when sitting in the shade.
2. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.

3. Playing tennis makes you sweat; he sweat his collar.

pet expressions. Avoid using hackneyed and pet expressions. The individual words in these expressions are as good as they ever were, and some of the expressions themselves are proper under proper circumstances; it is their misapplication, their use in season and out of season, that is objectionable (read the quotation from Lord Chesterfield in § 413):

Downy couch (say bed), satisfy the inner man (eat), school system (schools), seat of learning (college), student body (students), thanking you in advance (I shall be grateful, or the like; in advance' sounds as if the writer did not wish to write again), along these lines (see line, lines), up to date (see up to date), the fact that he did so (his doing so; or recast the sentence), in order that (that; § 310), pronounced success (success), vast concourse (crowd), floral tribute (flowers), staff of life (bread), matrimonial alliance (marriage), pay the debt to nature (die), voice the sentiments of (speak for), put in an appearance (appear), get in touch with (see, write to, etc.), keep in touch with (follow, keep informed, etc.), take your departure (go), be the recipient of (receive), the yellow metal (gold), the devouring element (fire), officiating clergyman

(minister), tie the knot (perform the ceremony), blissfully ignorant (ignorant), last but not least (last), dark as Egypt (dark), do full justice to (do justice to), as straight as a string (straight), the weaker sex (women), gown (dress), the lords of creation (men), rendition (performance), decease (death), perform (play), function (meeting, gathering, action, activity, duty; be useful, have a place, act, serve, etc.), motivate (give an incentive to, make useful or practical, etc.), repast (dinner, supper), peruse (read), indorse (approve), purchase (buy), reside (live), residence (house), your valued favor (your letter; see § 535), rise (get up), retire (go to bed), inaugurate (begin), try out (try), attire (dress), limb (leg), limbs (legs and arms), lose out (lose), sign up (sign), donate (give), odor (smell), words in many cases (many words), in case that (if).

photograph. The use of 'photo' for photograph is colloquial.
pitiable, piteous, pitiful. Study the following examples:

1. A pitiable condition; a piteous cry. (Arousing pity.)
2. Be pitiful (full of pity); a pitiful (pathetic) smile.

place. Place means a spot or locality; do not say 'any place', 'no place', and 'some place' for anywhere, nowhere, and somewhere:

1. He did not find any place for rent or sale.

2. I couldn't find a house anywhere. (Not 'any place'.)

3. You may stay in any place you like. (See § 52.)

plead, pleaded, have pleaded. Do not use 'plead' or 'pled' for pleaded.

plenty. Plenty is a noun; do not use it as an adjective or adverb; do not say 'a plenty':

1. There is plenty of work for those who want it.

2. We were in plenty of time.

3. The number of rooms was adequate. (Not 'plenty '.)

4. Fruit is plentiful this year. (Not plenty '.)

5. It is large enough. (Not 'plenty large enough '.)

6. These pens are good enough. (Not plenty good enough'.) porch, veranda. A porch is a roofed and partly inclosed entrance to a building; a veranda is roofed, but not inclosed (do not use 'piazza', which means a public square, for veranda); a porch

or veranda resembles a room, and the preposition in should be used with it (not 'on'; see § 293):

1. 'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch.
2. They sprawl in palm-leaf verandas.

SHAKESPEARE.

- STEVENSON.

possessive case. Observe the proper and improper uses of the possessive case. See §§ 41-48.

post, inform. Do not use post for inform; do not use the noun mail for the verb post (see handwritten):

1. To post notices; to post (not 'mail') a letter.

2. I had posted myself at his door.

3. He was well informed in history. (Not 'posted '.)

postal card, postcard. 'Postal' for postal card (U.S.) or postcard is colloquial and inelegant.

powerful. Powerful means full of power; do not use it as an adverb for exceedingly; do not use a powerful deal' or 'a powerful sight' for a great deal, a great many, and the like: 1. She was accompanied by a powerful dog.

2. He was exceedingly popular in his own town.
3. There was a great deal of dissatisfaction.

practicable, practical. Practicable means capable of being done; practical means capable of being turned to use, useful:

1. Electric lighting is both practicable and practical.
2. A heater on the roof is practicable, but not practical.
3. A telescope to study distant stars would be practical.

precēd ́ence, prec ́edent. Precedence means 'going before' (often because of a right or privilege); the noun precedent means 'something done or said that may serve as an example':

1. Some people like to have precedence on public occasions.
2. This work is to have precedence over everything else.
3. He promptly followed the precedent set by Oxford.
4. By this act a dangerous precedent will be introduced.

prefer to. Use to (not 'than ') after prefer:

1. She prefers California to Florida.
2. We preferred walking to riding.

prepositions. For a general treatment of prepositional idioms, see

§ 287. Prepositions should not be omitted where they are necessary (§ 52); nor should they be used where they are redundant ($ 413):

I. Where are we? (Not Where are we at?')

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2. Where have they gone? (Not gone to'.)

3. I got off the horse. (Not off of'; see of, off.)
4. All my friends. (Not all of'; see § 143.)
5. Both the boys. (Not 'both of'; see § 143.)

preventive. Do not say 'preventative' for preventive:
1. A preventive of smallpox; a preventive of evil.

2. Such a federation is a preventive of internal wars.

previous, previously. Do not use the adjective previous for the adverb previously; use before rather than 'previous to', 'previously to', or 'prior to'; similarly, use after rather than 'subsequent to' or 'subsequently to':

1. Our previous arrangements could not be changed.

2. This condition arose before (after) the Revolution. project, undertaking, purpose. Do not use proposition for project, undertaking, or purpose:

1. He made us a most fair proposition. (Correct.)

2. To cross the river was a difficult undertaking.

pronouns. Do not use me for I, or them for they (§§ 61, 314); one for we, you, etc. (§ 106); who for whom (§§ 78, 90, 99); whose for of which (§ 87).

proportion to, proportionate. Proportion is followed by to (not

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' with '); do not confuse proportional and proportionate:

1. The arms are out of proportion to the body.

2. The increase in the number of teachers is proportional to the increase in the number of students.

3. The number of students has increased, but the number of teachers has been increased proportionally.

4. The results are not proportionate to the outlay.

propose, purpose. Propose means to put forward or present something for consideration, or as an object to be attained; purpose